Apparatus fob mixing and controlling a supply op fuel fob explosion



W. D. COUPER.

APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND CONTROLLING A SUPPLY OF FUEL FOR EXPLOSIONENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8. I918.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

17622612507 anal COW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. COUPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND CONTROLLING A SUPPLY OF FUEL FOR EXPLOSION-ENGINES.

Application filed July 8, 1918.

ficiency of engines of the internal combus tion type and also meanswhereby the carbon will be converted into a combustible gas andconsumed, with the result that there will be no accumulation of carbonin the cylinders and the efficiency of the engine will be reatlincreased, whereby the amount 0? wor or mileage for a given quantity ofgas or fuel will be materially increased, and with the further resultthat no obnoxious gases will be discharged from the exhaust.

To the'attainment of these ends, and the accomplishment of other new anduseful ob- 'ects as will appear, the invention consists 1n the featuresof novelty in substantially the construction. combination andarrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described andclaimed and shown in the accompan ing drawing illustrating thisinvention an in whichi Figure 1 is a view, partly side elevation, partlyin section, and with parts broken away of an automobile havin anattachment constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention ap lied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional v ew taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1.

In the drawing the apparatus has been shown as being applied to anautomobile, but it is to be understood that it may be applied and usedfor other purposes, and therefore, it is desired that the drawingsherewith submitted shall be considered as being merely diagrammatic.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates anengine cylinder having the usual intake manifold 11 and the exhaustmanifold 12.

The usual radiator 13 is also provided and the radiator may be suppliedwith an overflow 14, althou h such overflow is not necessary with t 1epresent invention. The

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 243,762.

radiator contains a supply of water which may, if desired, have mixedtherewith, kerosene or other hydrocarbon or combustible fluid.

A pipe 15 has communication with the interior of the radiator 13, andthe inlet 16 of this pipe is disposed at a point above the water levelof the radiator. The pipe may be of any desired size and may be coiledabout the exhaust manifold 12 as at 17, one. portion of the pipe may beheld in contact with the exhaust manifold in any suitable manner. Theother end 1214 of this pipe has communication with a valve structurewhich latter comprises a casing 19 which is connected with the intakemanifold 11 so as to have communication with the opening 20 in themanifold, through the medium of the opening 21 in the valve casing, andin which casing there is provided a valve 22, preferably of the rotarytype which, when adjusted, establishes communication between the opening20 of the manifold 11 and a casing 23 which is connected with the valvecasing 19. I

he end 18 of the pipe 15 has communication with the casing 23 on oneside of a partition 24 and which partition divides the casing 23 intotwo chambers 25-26, the chamber 25 constituting an inlet chamber and thechamber 26 constituting a valve chamber in which latter is arranged avalve 27 which is mounted upon a stem 28. the latter preferably having athreaded portion 29 engaging in a bearing 30 and the valve 27 is adaptedto cooperate with the valve seat 31 to open and close communicationbetween the chambers 25-26. The valve stem 28 also has a bearing in asuitable guide 32 and aspring 33 encompasses the stem with the one endbearing against the valve 27 and the other end against a shoulder 34 onthe stem 28 and which shoulder may be in the form of a pin, so that the5 ring 33 tends normally to seat the valve 2 upon its seat 31. Thestem'28 may be provided with a handle 35 by means of which the stem maybe adjusted with respect to the bearing 30 to va the tension of thespring 33.

l hen the valve 22 is open, the suction in the engine will be manifestedin the chamber 26 of the valve casing, and this suction will unseat thevalve 27 so as to also menifest itself in the pipe 15. The sn' on thuscreated will draw the steam vapor from the radiator 13 and this vaporwill be delivered into the intake manifold 11 through the valve 22 andwhich valve maybe no crated in any desired or suitable manner such as bymeans of an operating handle 36 located in a convenient position to theoperator, such as upon the steering post 37, and the handle 313 may beconnected with a flexible member 3H movable in a housing 39. and whichflexible member 2% is connected with an operating; handle ill on thevalve 22. The vapor thus drawn in through the pipe 15 will mix with thegas being discharged into the engine. and the amount of vapor will becoi'itrollcd by the adjustment of the valve 2:, after the tension of thespring 33 has been adjusted. Obviously, the tension of the spring 33 maybe varied as desired.

In order to supply outside air to the radiator to replace the vapordrawn from the radiator and to prevent the formation of a vacuum, anysuitable means may he provided such as a valve embodying a valve casing41 which may be connected with the cap 42 of the radiator. This valve 41is of a construction similar to the valve 19 and embodies a valvechamber l-l ha ring a valve ll therein controlled by a Rjll'ilig'. andthe chamber 43 has communication with the outside air through an o'iening l6, and which opening 46 controlled by the valve 47, and adaptedto be adjusted by the han dle -18 in a manner similar to the valve 19.

The valve ll comprises a valve proper 4-9 which ma be operated by meansof a flexiblc member 5H having a handle- 51. thereon located in aconvenient position for the operator, and, which flexible memberoperates in a casing 52 and is connected to a. valve handle 53, so thatthe amount of air admitted into the radiator 13 may be controlled atwill. The admission of the air into the radiator will also beautomatically controlled alter the valve -l l has been once set and suchautomatic control is accomplished by the suction created in the radiatorto unseat the valve l-T.

Tn order to prevent water of ondensation, which would Form in theradiator by means of the admission of outside air therein, into contactwith the steam or vapor, from pass ing into the pipe 15, any suitablemeans may he provided to prevent such operation, such, for instance. asa balilc plate 54 which may be disposed bet ween the opening of thevalve casing 41 and the. in et of the pipe 15.

Obviously. the form ol valve 41 may be varied, and any suitableconstruction or means may he, provided for admitting the outside airinto the radiator, which means is ad ipted to be controlled so as tovary the quantity of air admitted.

It is thought that the operation of this improved apparatus will beclearly HIHlBP- stood from the foregoing specification, but, brieflystated, is as follows:

The tension of the spring controlling valve 47 is first adjusted to suitthe climatic and other conditions and the tension of the springcontrolling valve 27 may be adjusted as desired in accordance with thequantity of vapor which is desired to be supplied to the charge of fuel,and after these valves have been thus adjusted, the valves 22 and 43'may be controlled at Will through the medium of the operating handles36-'5l. As the vapor is drawn from the radiator, outside air will mixwith the vapor, the mixture being delivered to the intake manifold llthrough the pipe 15 and valve 22. When the engine is idling, the mixtureof vapor and outside air will not be delivered to the intake manifoldbecause the tension of the spring 33 is such as to overcome the suctionin the engine cylinder at that time, but when the engine is working, theincreased suction in the cylinder will be sufficient to overcome thetension of the spring 33 and the valve 27 will be unseated.

With this improved construction the formation of carbon in the enginecylinder will be prevented and the life of the engine and the parts willbe increased, owing to the fact that bccause of the elimination of theformation of carbon, it will not be necessary to grind the cylinders orvalve seats.

Furthermore, the water in the radiator will be maintained at a uniformtemperature and the circulation of the Water in the radiator or thequantity of the Water in the radiator will not be, interfered withbeyond normal conditions.

Furthermore, by automatically and entircly closing or shutting oil" thevapor and air passage from the radiator, when the engine is stopped, allpossibility of the interior of the engine becoming rusted, or the sparkplug short circuited will be avoided, with the result that) later, theengine will start when cold, and respond promptly.

By employing a mixture of water and alcohol or kerosene or otherhydrixzarbon or ombustible fluid as a cooling medium in the radiator,the vapor from. which mixture is commingled with outside air anddelivcrul to the charge being supplied tothe engine, the efficiency ofthe charge will be greatly increased, with the result that a greateramount of mileage or work can be obtained from a given quantity of thecharge, by the mixture of the hydrocarbon, or combustible fluid, vaporand air from the radiator.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herewith shown anddosrrihed. it is to be understood that various changes may he made inthe details of consupplying a greater quantity of.

struction and in the combination and :irducting the rungement of theseveral parts Without de- 'from the re parting from the spirit of thisinvention. the supply of What is claimed as new is: to the engine,

An :1 )purutus of the character described and positively con embodying asource of supply of fuel, u 1':\- the said mixture 0 t diator, means forsupplying outside air disaid supply of fuel. rectly to the radiator andmixing said air In testimony \vh supply with the vapor and within theradiname to this specification on ator, means for automatically and alsoposiof J uly, A. D. 1918.

WILLIAM D. COUPER.

tively controlling the )roportion of outside air supplied to the raiator, means for consaid mixture of air and vapor diator and mixing thfuel to be delivers and means for automatically trolling the proportio fair and vapor with e same with d therewith 15 the erect I have signed my20 this 5th day

